Antonio Matta explains why faith helps people recover from addiction and mental illness. Research shows people with strong spiritual foundations have lower relapse rates and better psychiatric outcomes. Spirituality works as recovery capital, the resources people draw on to heal.
But what is it about faith that makes it such a powerful force in recovery? Is it the structure? The sense of belonging? Or is it something deeper, something woven into the very fabric of how we find hope? Science backs up what so many in recovery have intuitively known, which is that faith, in its many forms, has real psychological benefits. Research shows that spirituality enhances recovery capital, the resources one draws upon to heal and maintain wellness. People with with a strong spiritual foundation report not only lower relapse rates in addiction recovery but also improved outcomes in psychiatric recovery.
